The 4 Hottest Solar Stocks of 2013

The coming year looks promising for top solar stocks, too

After spending much of the Great Recession recovery in the dark, solar stocks had one of their best years on record in 2013. A variety of factors — from dwindling costs to rising subsidies in key markets like China and Japan — helped the fortunes of top solar stocks finally catch up to the their long-term promise.

Overall, the Guggenheim Solar (TAN) — a broad measure of solar stocks — is up a staggering 120% so far this year. That impressive return makes TAN one of the best ETF investments for 2013 … not too shabby for a fund that was facing dwindling assets, a reverse split and price tag under$2 just a year ago.

What’s more impressive is the fact that some solar stocks did even better, boasting returns in excess of 300% for 2013. Meanwhile, 2014 could bring more of the same to the sector.

If you’re looking for the best solar stocks to buy now, start with this list of the hottest names for 2013: First Solar (FSLR), Canadian Solar (CSIQ), JinkoSolar (JKS) and SolarCity (SCTY).